Blue Mountains Journal

Farm, Megalong Valley Words to walk with : A Farm-Picture by Walt Whitman THROUGH the ample open door of the peaceful country barn, A sun-lit pasture field, with cattle and horses feeding; And haze, and vista, and the far horizon, fading away.

Megalong Valley Public School School is out for the summer, ready for the winter. Words to walk with: Afternoon in School - The Last Lesson by DH Lawrence When will the bell ring, and end this weariness? How long have they tugged the leash, and strained apart My pack of unruly hounds: I cannot start Them again on a quarry of knowledge they hate to hunt, I can haul them and urge them no more. No more can I endure to bear the brunt Of the books that lie out on the desks: a full three score Of several insults of blotted pages and scrawl Of slovenly work that they have offered me. I am sick, and tired more than any thrall Upon the woodstacks working weariedly. And shall I take The last dear fuel and heap it on my soul Till I rouse my will like a fire to consume Their dross of indifference, and burn the scroll Of their insults in punishment? - I will not! I will not waste myself to embers for them, Not all for them shall the fires of my life be hot, For myself a heap of ashes of weariness, ...

Old Ford Reserve, Megalong Valley Words to walk with: Climb every mountain, search high and low Follow every by way, every path you know Climb every mountain, ford every stream Follow every rainbow, till you find your dream -- Sound of Music

Everlasting daisy, Megalong Valley I've shown images of everlasting daisies before. Words to walk with: Everlasting Flowers by D H Lawrence WHO do you think stands watching The snow-tops shining rosy In heaven, now that the darkness Takes all but the tallest posy? Who then sees the two-winged Boat down there, all alone And asleep on the snow's last shadow, Like a moth on a stone? The olive-leaves, light as gad-flies, Have all gone dark, gone black. And now in the dark my soul to you Turns back. To you, my little darling, To you, out of Italy. For what is loveliness, my love, Save you have it with me! So, there's an oxen wagon Comes darkly into sight: A man with a lantern, swinging A little light. What does he see, my darling Here by the darkened lake? Here, in the sloping shadow The mountains make? He says not a word, but passes, Staring at what he sees. What ghost of us both do you think he saw Under the olive trees? All the things that are lovely-- The things you never kn...

Rainforest, Megalong Valley The odd way the decaying logs are laying (probably for bush regeneration) made me think of a checkerboard. Words to walk with: Life is a kind of Chess, with struggle, competition, good and ill events” (Benjamin Franklin)

Rainforest, Megalong Valley I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. - Henry David Thoreau

Megalong Road Happy New Year! Thank you for following this journal throughout the past year and providing your always welcome comments. I've changed my mind back and forth many times on how to manage my blogs in this fresh New Year. Last year I split my time between Blue Mountains Journal and Sweet Wayfaring but feel that as a result both you and I have been missing out on the lovely natural environment in which I live so it's time for a few changes. I will aim to post here every 3 days as well as my daily Sweet Wayfaring posts. If you like walking in the wilderness stay here, if you prefer to travel through rural Australia there is an great new trip starting over at Sweet Wayfaring today. Changes is the monthly theme day of the City Daily Community Click here to view thumbnails for all participants Words to walk with: From Inversnaid by Gerard Manly Hopkins "What would the world be, once bereft Of wet and of wilderness? Let them be left, O let them be left, wilderness ...